Download The Point of Light Historical Fiction John Ellsworth 9781090225825 Books

Product details Series Historical Fiction (Book 1) Paperback 398 pages Publisher Independently published (March 11, 2019) Language English ISBN-10 1090225822

The Point of Light Historical Fiction John Ellsworth 9781090225825 Books Reviews

• If I could give this zero stars, I would. I love historical fiction and the WW II time period. I had to stop reading it was so bad on so many levels. The dialog was stilted. The characters were unbelievable. There were so many contradictory points through out that I had to stop.
  
  1. Claire's mother tells her not to rescue the Jewish child Lima yet the parents build a bunker in their home for their Jewish neighbors.
  2. The father, an automobile executive, and mother ,who is a doctor in the Jewish hospital, buy food from the black market all the while lamenting the German invaders and what they have done to the French Jews.
  3. A newly married bride suggests to her husband, a German born French sympathist who is forcibly inducted into the German army, that she will search for high level Germans and pursue sexual relationships in order to gather intelligence for the Resistance. And he's okay with it.
  4. The dialog between Claire and Erhlanger was preposterous. "Tell me about your secret maps so I can feel closer to you." If he didn't know he was being played he deserved it. Then all of a sudden he knew what she was doing all along. He was stupid if he didn't know.
  5. When Erhlanger hands over Claire to her next target (I can't even bother to remember his name) and he asks what he gains from their relationship and Claire responds "19 year old flesh". Does the author even know any 19 year olds? Who the heck would respond with this? Not any 19 year old I know.
  6. Esme is tired of being Schloss's prsioner so he sends her on a vacation to Bruges. REALLY!? She was his slave. How was any of this supposed to be believable??? She's a prisoner of war and he sets her up in a hotel so she can have a vacation!!!!!!!
  7. Claire sleeps in Schloss's basement when she becomes his daughters' tutor. Then in the next instant we're told she goes upstairs to her room to pack her few things to move to the hospital.
  8. About 47% into the book Schloss is speaking in the first person then in the next sentence it becomes 3rd person.
  9. And maybe it was me, but all of a sudden Claire and Esme had brothers? Where was this introduced in the beginning? Perhaps I didn't read it carefully enough because I didn't care about it enough.
  
  That was it for me. There is so much good literature out there. This was not worth my time. I'm moving on.
• Unfortunately the premise of the book did not match the reality of reading it. Without doubt but the subject is unquestionably graphic and upsetting but I found the style of writing frustrating. It appeared the book was written in the manner of expanded bullet points and consequently lacked continuity. It is a shame as the story of the central character deserves to be told.
• This is an amazing book and a book everyone should read. It is a book about love, courage, pain,bravery, and death. It is so much more than words can say. If you want intrigue and getting to know amazing and fascinating character then this book This it all. It will bring you to tears and make you wish it would never end. If I could I would give this book ten stars. I can not recommend this The Point of Life high enough. John Ellsworth is a magnetic writer and as the saying goes He can write anything and make you want more. Thank you for writing this beautiful story. JoAnn Brown
• The Point of Light was written by John Ellsworth. The story is loosely based on the life of French photojournalist and Auschwitz survivor Marie-Claude Valliant Couturie. She was a member of the Resistance and was sent to Auschwitz and Ravensbruck. However, Claire, in the book, has gone beyond Marie-Claude in this book.
  Claire Vallant wanted to be a photojournalist for as long as she could remember. She loved taking phtos and was very good at it. Her Father ran the Vallant dealership in Paris and her Mother was a surgeon. She had a younger sister and two younger brothers. Claire was considered the “good” one while Esmee was always getting into trouble. They were raised to do good for others and to be themselves and do what they wanted to do. When the Nazis were threatening Paris, Claire decided she wanted to do something. She ended up joining a resistance group. One member of this group was Remy Schildmann, the son of a German General. She had known Remy since they were in elementary school. She considered him her best friend while he was in love with her. They became reacquainted in the resistance and fell in love. Then, Remy was sent to Germany, by his Father, to join the SS and become the SS officer he was destined to be. He decided to go along with them and work against the Nazis from the inside. However, it did mean he would have to be actively involved in the deportation of Jews. He was leading a raid on the Naussenbaum family. They arrested Mr. and Mrs. Naussenbaum; but Remy hid their sleeping daughter in her amoire. He then called Claire to tell her where Lima was. Claire went to get her and then kept Lima as her own since they didn’t know where any relatives were. In order to keep her safe, Claire and Remy married and adopted Lima. Then Remy’s unit was sent to the front. Claire was left to bring up Lima and to do what she could to stop the Nazi momentum.
  The story continues through collaboration, resistance, arrest, torture, and being sent to Auschwitz and later Ravensbruck. How will Claire and Remy survive the War? Will they stay together afterwards? Will Lima’s parents come back?
  The book is very interesting and keeps your attention through the entire book. You are kept on the edge of your chair not knowing how Claire will get out of tough places and if she and the others will survive. The really weak spot is when Remy begins working to document for war crimes. His sudden dropping from Claire’s life just isn’t realistic.
• I am a huge John Ellsworth fan, pre-ordered this book at the first opportunity, and also had the opportunity to read an advance copy. I am very glad Mr. Ellsworth chose to write this novel.
  
  The subject of the Nazis and the horrors they committed has always been of interest to me, a fascination regarding actions so unspeakable that they seem impossible, by both the criminals and the victims and by those who risked their lives in the resistence. Yet the eye witness accounts left no doubt. This story, loosely based on a real person who testified against Nazi war criminals, reads like such an eye witness account. I could not put it down.
  
  I hope Mr. Ellsworth gives us more like this and maybe even continues on with this story to follow our heroine.